The Knight & His Queen
by Benji Madison
Summary: Princess Aderyn has always had Brynn at her side. They grew up together, causing mischief and having fun. But years later when it's time for both of them to grow up, it won't only affect their friendship, but the future of the country as well.
1. Chapter 1

One

~Aderyn~

"Don't wander too far now, the both of you! I promised Your Majesty that I wouldn't let you out of my sight!" Lady Catherine called after us, but her voice was soon carried away by the wind. I was with my Brynn and nothing was more important than our play time.

I ran through the tall grass, little flowers getting stuck in my wild hair as I chased him. He was much faster than me and within a few minutes I had lost track of him.

"Brynn!" I called but heard only silence. "This isn't funny!" I screamed but my eight-year-old voice couldn't sound menacing or threatening at all. "As princess I command you come out!" I stomped by foot on the ground for emphasis that I wasn't joking but still no sound was heard.

Sighing, I began to walk further into the field, towards the opening of the meadow that I knew was just a few paces in front of me.

I stepped through and-

"Hah!" Brynn jumped out of the tall grass and I fell backwards, omitting a piercing shriek as I fell. He was at my side in an instant, laughing. "I gotcha!"

I scrambled to my feet and shoved him back.

"You're not supposed to shove a lady!"

"You're not a lady," He said, still smiling.

"Am too!"

"Are not!"

"Shows what _you_ know! Lady Catherine is always telling me to act like a lady," I retorted.

"That's because you _don't _act like one. See? I'm right!" He stuck his tongue out.

"Fine. Then I guess I won't knight you some day," I said and dusted myself off, preparing to go pick some flowers. He was at my side in an instant.

"I was only kidding!" He said and blocked my path. "I'm sorry if I hurt you," He said and held out a beautiful flower to me; one that I had never seen growing in the fields before. I graciously accepted it and smiled at him; my truest and best friend.

"Well, in that case," I said sniffing the sweet, bright purple flower. "I guess I forgive you." I stepped around him and tucked the flower in my hair, the stem resting behind my ear. I saw to my right a bushel of small white flowers and headed in their direction with Brynn rushing to catch up to me.

"So, you'll knight me then, right?" He sounded worried and I smiled to myself.

"Oh, well, I'm not sure."

"Aw, come on, Addy!"

"That's Princess Aderyn to you, good sir!" With my back to him he couldn't see me trying not to laugh. I heard him stop following me and I turned to him; his face fell.

"Hey," I said softly and rushed to his side. "You're not the only one who can joke." I said. He looked me in the eyes, completely serious now. "You know I'm going to be the one to knight you."

"Promise?"

"I promise," I said and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

TEN YEARS LATER...

The thought of the scolding I was bound to receive when I returned back to the castle covered in mud stains was pushed to the farthest corners of my mind as I climbed on the wooden fence to watch Brynn during his last few days as a squire.

Suited up and ready to try horseback riding wearing an entire suit of armor was quite a comical thing to watch for me. Despite the strong wind and gray skies I still sneaked out to watch him; to laugh at him mostly. He turned to me just before he shoved his helmet on and shouted into the wind.

"Ready for this?" He called and I cupped my hands around my mouth.

"I'm ready to watch you fall on your ass!" I called back and he laughed and shook his head, shoving the helmet into place. I smiled widely and bit my lip, holding back a laugh.

A younger squire who was about twelve or thirteen stepped up beside me to watch.

"Is there anything I can get for you, my lady?" He asked and I shook my head.

"Has he gotten any better since last time I watched?" I asked the boy.

"He's much better than I am, your majesty," The boy commented politely and I turned to him and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Outside the palace walls, I'm just Aderyn. Alright? None of that royal talk, understood?" I patted the empty space next to me. "Take a seat and enjoy the show."

He nodded quickly and scrambled up to my side.

"Do you think he'll fall?" he asked and I smiled again.

"God, I hope so." I said and the boy looked at me quizzically. "When there's something Brynn _can't _do it's a rare treat," I explained but the boy still looked confused.

"It's harder than it looks riding in all that armor," the boy said and I had to take that into consideration.

"All the other knights have no problem," I commented.

"Not that you know of," he said.

I cleared my throat and turned my attention to Brynn, who firmly grasped the reins to his horse and gave it a swift kick.

Off he went across the long patch of dirt spread out in front of him on the training grounds. All looked well as he flew passed me and headed towards the opposite end. Now it was almost time for the moment of truth; the turn to head in the opposite direction.

The last time Brynn had tried to manage this task, he had successfully slid right off of the saddle and had promptly gotten the wind knocked out of him.

I held my breath this time, waiting for the inevitable. He shifted his weight and leaned towards the direction he was turning and...

Was soon heading back in the opposite direction.

The boy and I both clapped wildly as he sped by and back to the other end once more. After successfully turning that corner too, he raced towards us and urged his horse to come to a halt.

Climbing down quickly and pulling off his helmet where tufts of his dark hair swirled about, his face shone nothing but sheer bliss in it's expression.

"How was that for a ride, my lady?" He asked and firmly grasped me around my waist, helping me to the ground. The boy jumped down next and casually walked away to give us some privacy. I threw my arms around Brynn's neck.

"You were wonderful! Congratulations!" His firm arms were around me in a moment as he returned my embrace.

"And here you were thinking I was going to fall," he said after the hug ended.

"Well, I got to see you mess up once," I said. "That's good enough for me." I joked. He looked down and frowned.

"Lady Catherine's going to kill you when she sees your dress," Brynn commented and I waved my hand dismissively in front of his face.

"The woman can work miracle with laundry," I replied and brushed passed him to gently stroke the nose of his beautiful chocolate brown stallion. "Is this the horse you'll be given?"

"I hope so."

"What are you going to name her?"

"Well..." He scratched his head. "She does have the same color hair as you do. I was thinking about calling her Aderyn." I slapped his shoulder and he laughed. "What, you don't like it?"

"How about just Addy? If you _must _name her after me," I suggested and he smiled.

"Well, Addy it is then," he resolved and I rested my cheek against the horse's jaw.

"She's beautiful," I complimented her and closed my eyes as I felt her warmth against me.

"Yes, she is," He said and I opened my eyes and smiled at him.

"Let's take her back to the stables and you and I can go celebrate!" I grabbed the reins and handed them to him. He obliged and we lead Addy back to her stall in the horse stables.

"Sneaking out to the stables again to see Brynn, did we?" Lady Catherine's voice didn't sound too surprised at all when we ran into her rounding one of the many corners that lead to my chambers.

"It's his final week of training, Lady Catherine, you know that," I smiled at Brynn and he took a step away from me; he had always been a little intimidated by Lady Catherine as he knew she told my parents everything that I did.

"Yes, I know. And I also know that if the queen sees you dressed like this she'll have my head for it."

"Well, then we should probably steal away quickly then before we're discovered," I gave Brynn a gentle push and grabbed his hand; he seemed all too eager to get beyond the castle walls.

"Not before you change into more suitable clothing," Lady Catherine said, grabbing Brynn by the collar of his shirt, which caused me to halt as well. I sighed and turned to face him. Brynn laughed.

"Go on and get changed. I'll just meet you by the flower cart," He said and released his hand from my grasp to start down the halls. I turned to Lady Catherine.

"Well, let's get this over with."

"I really don't see how you're not embarrassed being around such a fine looking young gentleman and dressed like such a heathen," She scolded as we entered my bedchambers.

"Brynn doesn't care about that," I said, wondering how she didn't know this by now after all these years.

"Even so," she continued as if I hadn't even spoken. "You have a duty to the king and queen to uphold and it's my job to make sure you honor that. If you don't care about how you look at least care about how your appearance makes _me _look, if you don't mind."

I took that into consideration. Lady Catherine _has _been a good lady-in-waiting to me after all these long years; I can admit I did owe her as much. She stared at me, waiting for an answer and when I nodded she smiled and handed me a deep red velvet gown that looked brand new.

"What's this?" I asked.

"I've gotten better with a needle and thread, my lady," She said proudly and I had to hand it to her, the dress was spectacular. Long, straight and flowing, the soft fabric was the dark color of paprika and was even rather comfortable to wear. There were no over-bearing and blinding embellishments spun into intricate designs that drew far too much attention to specific parts of my body, it was just a simple red dress with long bell-sleeves.

I adored it.

"You made this?" I asked breathlessly once I slipped it over my head. "It's beautiful."

"Well, I knew how much you hate wearing the gaudy dresses your mother picks out for you. Consider this a kind of truce," She said and winked at me.

"Thank you," I said and admired the dress in the long mirror on the wall. Lady Catherine hooked a tiny garnet necklace around my neck and it hung an inch below my collarbone.

"You're welcome," she answered at last and held up a brush. "Let's just brush through these tangles and you're on your way." I pulled back and grabbed the brush from her hands.

"I can do it," I said. I never really cared too much for people doing all of my work for me, after all I wasn't an invalid. I was perfectly capable of wielding a brush and even a sword thanks to lonely afternoons with Brynn.

I passed the brush through my hair until it looked decent enough to Lady Catherine and then all but bolted out the door, walking as slow as need be when I passed someone in the halls. Everyone within the castle walls already felt unsure about my upbringing since I was often found with the men out in the stables rather than the women in the music and dance halls learning how to sew and translate French poetry.

I draped a black shawl around my shoulders as I stepped back outside into the rushing wind and made my way passed the many rows of carts to where the flower cart stood.

There Brynn was, as promised, thanking the woman behind the cart for his purchase of a very familiar bright purple flower. When he turned around and saw me, he offered me the flower and I accepted it, welcoming in it's delicious fragrance and twirling it between my fingers.

"New dress?" he asked and reached out to touch the hem of one of the sleeves.

"You like it?"

"It's different from what you usually wear," He said and smiled, teasing me.

"Lady Catherine made it for me," I said as we began walking. "So, where shall we go to celebrate?" I asked and stole a quick glance at his face.

"I haven't had a good crepe in a long time," he hinted and we headed around the back of the castle to where the back entrance to the kitchen's were. Leading Brynn through the busy crowd of maids and servants, I found my dear friend, and personal favorite chef, Henry, pouring over a recipe book.

"Henry!" I stepped up to him and he nearly jumped out of his skin! He looked like he was about to become upset until he saw my face and his features melted in delight.

"Princess! Welcome, welcome! What brings you here? I haven't seen you in a few days!"

"My apologies. I've been rather busy around the stables with Brynn," I said, motioning in his direction a few steps behind me. Henry chuckled and stuck out his large hand to shake Brynn's.

"I hear someone's finishing his last few days as a squire," Henry winked at me and smiled warmly at Brynn. "Congratulations, my boy!"

"Thank you, sir," Brynn said and took his place at my side.

"That's actually the reason we came, Henry," I said. "I told Brynn I would take him out to celebrate and he just happened to mention how he hasn't had a decent crepe in quite some time now..." I hinted and let my voice trail off.

"Of course! You two just go wait in the dining hall and it'll be out before you know it!"

"Thank you, Henry," I said and flashed him my biggest smile before turning and leading Brynn out of the kitchen and through the servants doors that lead to the dining room.

"Thank you," Brynn said quietly and I had to laugh at him.

"What's your problem? I've never seen you so quite in my life. Are you keeping secrets from me?" We sat down at the table and I took my seat at the head of the table with Brynn to my right. I leaned towards him and noticed that he did not answer. My stomach instantly tightened into knots. "Brynn?"

He looked up at me and smiled weakly.

"It's nothing."

"You'd better not be lying to me," I warned. Without making eye contact, he stared intently at the designs in the woodwork of the large table at which we sat. He opened his mouth to speak and his words came out slowly and deliberately.

"I spoke with Sir Robert of Wilkshire yesterday morning," he said and still refused to look up at me. "Do you know him?"

"He had a council meeting with my father not but two days ago," I recalled and my eyebrows creased in worry. I had heard whispers of a war waging somewhere along the coastline. I swallowed hard. "What about him?"

"He wants me to travel with him next week after I've been knighted. We'd be heading to the port at St. Andrews and then up to the Shetland Islands."

"St. Andrews? Shetland Islands? In... _Scotland_?"

He nodded.

"For how long?"

"Who knows?" he shrugged. "A couple of months, maybe more. I'm sure you've already heard talk of a war."

"I heard my father talking to him about it, yes," I stuttered. "But... do you _want _to go?"

"I can't exactly say no to my very first assignment, now, can I?" He tried to laugh, catching in my tone that I wasn't happy about it at all.

"No, I guess you can't."

The room grew quiet and I drummed my fingers on the table, trying to figure out in my head just how far away St. Andrews and the Shetland Islands were from our home here in Wales. The next thing I knew, Brynn reached out and grabbed my hands, taking them gently in his.

"Hey," he said finally looking my straight in the eyes. "It'll be alright."

I sighed and tried my best to put on a convincing smile, although I knew it wasn't fooling either one of us.

The crepes arrived a few minutes later and Brynn quickly let go of my hands, letting them smack against the hard table. I had noticed that the older we got, the more embarrassed he became of public displays of even the smallest kind of affection. I found it rather strange since neither one of us thought anything of it and I wondered to myself on many occasions if it bothered Brynn that maybe others thought a different story.

I thanked the server and asked him to convey our appreciation to Henry before taking the first heavenly bite into my crepe. I think both Brynn and I entered our own little strawberry and cream-filled world just then where not even the threats of war and the pain of saying goodbye could break in.

If only such a world really existed.


	2. Chapter 2

Two

~Aderyn~

I wriggled around uncomfortably in my seat, unaware of the eyes of the other girls my age, as the light green puffed-up dress I wore itched at the back of my neck and shoulders. I had completely forgotten that tonight I had a dinner with other "young ladies" my age who gathered once a month to discuss all sorts of _fascinating _things from matters of religion and politics, to handsome knights and princes in the surrounding kingdoms.

The disturbing news of Brynn leaving for a possible war inhabited my every thought from the moment he left the castle; surely my father wouldn't allow to such a thing. But I knew I wasn't fooling myself; the king had no interest in protecting his daughter's best friend.

Brynn knew that being a knight involved specific duties. We both knew this. Yet over all these years I had somehow overlooked the big picture, focusing only on the minor details; the glint of his new armor, the ceremony, the smiles and praises of congratulations ringing all around him. I was proud of him. But at the same time I couldn't help but wonder if he would miss-

"Princess?" A dainty hand was placed on my shoulder, snapping me out of my deep thoughts.

"Huh? Yes?" I looked to my left where the Duke of Wickersham's daughter, Beatrice, as well as the other girls, stared at me with wide eyes. I smiled at her politely. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked if His Majesty had any new recruits to send with Sir Robert?" A girl to my left, whom I didn't care for in the least, smirked when my face turned ashen.

"Well," I began. I hated bringing up the subject of Brynn around these girls, knowing how their reaction would be, but it seemed inevitable. "Brynn is being knighted this coming Sunday."

"But is he going with Sir Robert?" the sassy girl, named Lucinda, asked. I wanted to reach across the circle and cheerfully tear her hair out but a warning to behave myself echoed in my head.

"He informed me this afternoon that he may have to go."

"You poor dear," Beatrice said, patting my hand. "You must be worried sick about him." I looked at her with suspicious eyes.

"Brynn will be fine," I cleared my throat; I would rather talk about religion or politics than him.

"Is it true he's courting the Earl of Crimshaw's daughter, Elizabeth?" Lucinda's voice rang with authority. She always had hated my close relationship with Brynn and any jab she could make to get under my skin became her top priority. Unfortunately for me, this time it worked. My eyebrows raised several inches in surprise.

"Elizabeth?"

"Hadn't you noticed she isn't here today?" A younger girl named Mary asked.

"I saw them a few night's ago in town," Mary's twin sister Marie chimed in.

"I hadn't heard," I said. Lucinda chuckled and her face fell in false pity.

"Well, I'm sure he had a good reason for keeping it to himself, Aderyn. After all he tells you just about everything, does he not? I can't imagine why he would keep such a thing from you."

Echoes of agreement rang throughout the circle.

"Brynn has a life of his own outside the castle walls. Who am I to tell him how to run his life?" I shrugged and took a sip of my tea. Acting like a young lady felt a lot like being thrown to the wolves if you asked me.

"Well, you _are_ the Princess. He would have to listen to you no matter what, wouldn't he?" In my mind I envisioned myself slapping her across her beautiful, smug face. The girl brought out such a violent nature in me.

"But you know I wouldn't do that to Brynn," I retorted in a kind, yet acidic voice.

"Because you love him." It wasn't a question. All of the girls leaned in at the same time. As if they had rehearsed, or at least known that Lucinda had set a trap for me.

"Because I am a good friend. I would like to think you aren't too stubborn to take lessons from me," I smiled and all traces of politeness were gone from her features. Why couldn't I get through one single day without someone mentioning this? Brynn and I _never _thought of each other in that way.

Triumphantly, I rose from my chair just as the doors opened and our mother's entered the room to collect us. I curtsied, as expected, and walked over to greet my mother whilst the other girls stared after me in open-mouthed shock.

"Aderyn," my mother spoke through her smiling teeth. "Why do I get the feeling you-"

"Had a lovely time, mother!" I kissed her lightly on the cheek and turned to the other women. "I can't wait for our next gathering."

If I continued to smile like this for much longer my face would crack in two, I feared.

"I can't wait until next time!" I called back over my shoulder again as I quickly dismissed myself from the room.

Once on the other side of the door I ran down the halls and into my bedchambers where I locked myself away from the world and slid my back down the door til I found myself on the cold floor.

"God, I _hate _those damned things," I whispered to myself. "I don't know how mother does it without killing someone _or _herself." I heard splashing water from the other room and curiously went to investigate. In my small bathing room Lady Catherine stood, readying a bath for me.

"Back so soon?" She asked when I made my presence known.

"Thankfully." I confessed and she studied my expression.

"I take it Lucinda is well," She chuckled.

"She does with my misery what Elizabeth Bathory does with blood," I crooned and Lady Catherine tried her best to stifle a laugh.

"Now, that's a bit extreme..."

"You think? It's the most mild thing I could think of," I said and sighed, beginning to slip out of my itchy gown. After a few minutes I was standing by the large tub filled with steaming water in my undergarments. Lady Catherine busied herself flitting around the washroom lighting candles and occasionally pouring oils into the water until it was cool enough for me to enter.

And it was one of the greatest pleasures I could enjoy that I always looked forward to. What I had to worry about that made my muscles so tense was beyond me but being able to feel the stress melt away from my body, carried away by the warm water and oils, was a heavenly feeling.

Once out of the tub I sat on my high back chair, brushing out my hair until it was smooth and dry. Lady Catherine folded back the sheets to my bed and I wondered aloud at the fears which I had pushed to the back of my mind.

"Do you really think my father will send Brynn away with Sir Robert?"

"I'm afraid so, my lady. Only a few more days until he is knighted and then his soul priority is dedicated to the safety of this kingdom; his duty to the crown."

"He'd be traveling to St. Andrews and the Shetland Islands. There's no telling how long they'd be gone for," I said and I think the enormity of it all was just starting to sink in. "Even if the war was something we need not worry about, he would still be away for quite a long while." I tied the robe I was wearing tighter around my small frame and stood up, waiting on Lady Catherine's reply. She looked at me as if trying to read my mind; at what I was thinking in this strange head of mine.

"There's really no way of telling," she answered simply. "Only God knows, I'm afraid."

And then another question struck me. One that disturbed me even more. I crawled into bed and leaned towards Lady Catherine, my voice almost a whisper.

"Do you know of the Earl of Crimshaw's daughter, Elizabeth?"

"Yes. What about her?"

"Is she being courted, by any chance?"

Lady Catherine's face shifted just the slightest and I knew she was keeping something from me.

"Why do you ask, my lady?"

"You know, don't you?"

She didn't answer. Without saying a word she pulled the sheets up around me and began to close the sheer curtains around my canopy bed.

"Well, come on. Out with it. It's not like I don't already know!"

"Then why must you make me speak it?"

"Because I need to hear it from someone I can trust to be telling the truth," I pleaded and her eyes turned soft.

"It's not well-known around the castle but I have enough reason to believe that she's being courted, yes. By..." She took a deep breath and shook her head, her pretty blond hair was toppled up on her head in a giant web of curls that dimly shone in the light.

"Brynn?"

She only nodded once and I felt...

Betrayed.

"Why would he not tell me this?"

"I think my lady cares too much about things that are not really her business," She said and stood up, smoothing out her dress with her pale hands. I glowered down at my lap.

"Perhaps you're right," I whispered and she smiled at me faintly.

"Goodnight, my lady," she said softly before closing the final curtain and leaving me to my thoughts.

"But still," I continued to think aloud. "Why wouldn't Brynn tell me?"


	3. Chapter 3

Three

~Aderyn~

The more I thought about the whole situation, the more unhappy I became. I pictured Brynn in my head. My best friend; my handsome best friend who always told me everything, who treated me like...

How _did _he treat me?

Like one of the boys? No. He respected me far too much.

Like a sister? No, definitely not that.

Like...

Like a princess. Like everyone else treated me.

The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if our friendship had been nothing but his civic duty to the crown- so to speak.

I hated him.

I hated his long, swirling black hair and his dark black eyes. I hated his crooked smile and straight teeth. I hated his laugh and his ability to make me smile when nothing else could.

I hated that he was leaving. I hated that he had kept secrets; a partial lie.

And worst of all I hated myself for ever believing after all these years that he was anything more than a loyal servant to the crown—to me.

I awoke early the next morning and paced back and forth at the foot of my bed, a war of it's own waging in my thoughts.

Should I go outside and watch his final moments as a squire like he was expecting me to?

Or should I stand firm in my stubbornness and refuse to speak to him again until he begged and grovelled for forgiveness?

The latter choice was all-too tempting although I knew him far too well to expect that.

But no, I was weak.

I dressed quickly, wasting too much time battling with myself, and ran down to the training grounds where he was already running laps on horseback. The same boy from the morning before stood there watching him.

"He fell," the boy said. "You missed it."

"Damn," I muttered and turned and headed into the stables to see my own horse, Caesar.

He was a magnificent animal; powerful and beautiful. I had trained him myself since he was just a small colt and we had grown up together.

I stroked his velvet-soft nose and fed him a handful of oats.

"Boy!" I called as I saw the boy walk by with a bucket of water in his hands. He stopped and turned to me.

"My lady?" he called back.

"When you are finished, saddle up my horse, if you'll be so kind. I wish to take him out," I said and the boy nodded.

"Right away," he said and hurried away with the bucket.

Within a matter of minutes Caesar and I bolted through the stables, the wind blowing his mane and my hair back, sending it whipping in whatever direction the wind cared to blow.

I was aware of no _one _and no _thing _as we thundered across the meadow and down a few miles to the river where I stopped to allow Caesar to drink and enjoy the fresh and wet grass.

I climbed down from the saddle and took a seat on a fallen tree trunk which had now reduced to a shabby log. Keeping my concentration on peeling the damp bark from the body of the log, I pushed all my cares aside and closed myself away from the world only occasionally coming back into focus to make sure Caesar had not wandered off.

But of course I should have known that I would not be left alone to myself for too long. Addy and her new owner came into view a few seconds after I heard faint hoof-prints approaching me.

Ignoring the both of them, I pulled off my boots, hiked up my dress and waded into the cool, running water of the shallow river.

"You haven't taken Caesar out in a while," he called and I hated myself for loving the sound of his voice.

"I wanted to get out," I answered, still walking further out into the water in the opposite direction.

"Yes, I can see that," he laughed, not taking the hint that I wanted to be completely alone; especially from him. I continued to wade out into the waters until the water line reached just a few inches below my knees. "Careful," he called out to me. "Any second now you're about to drop a few more inches. And the current picks up quite a bit."

I ignored him and took a few more steps, feeling with my toes for any sudden drops. I heard him demount his horse and then it grew quiet. I turned around and he was taking off his shoes to come out and join me.

"Water's freezing," he commented, wincing as he took the first step into the icy water. He was right but in my attempt to escape him I scarcely noticed. "Are you okay?"

I smiled to myself a bit. God, he was slow. I shrugged and smiled sweetly at him.

"Why would I not be?"

"Well, I don't know. That's why I'm asking you. You seem...upset," he took small steps towards me, still quite a few yards away. Across the other side of the river a bush trembled and a small family of rabbits emerged, their noses twitching as they sniffed the air around them for food.

"What reason could I _possibly _have to be upset?" There went my tone, completely giving me away.

"We-ell... you didn't seem to happy about what I told you yesterday," he ventured and my eyes widened in annoyance. How could he torture me like this, even unconsciously? I wanted to throw a rock at him.

"Why would I be upset with you for doing your duty? You've wanted to be a knight since we were kids and now you're finally getting your wish. I don't see how that's something that I would be upset about."

"I didn't mean that. I mean... I'm going to be gone for a while..." he pushed me to speak further and I turned to him suddenly, my eyes blazing.

"What?" he asked once he saw my furious expression. He didn't take another step, but just stood rooted in place.

"What is it with everyone? Why does everyone think that when you leave I'm going to be like some lost _child_? I _don't _need _you_ to survive!" I kicked water at him and he stared at me incredulously before laughing aloud and taking another step towards me.

"Is that what this is about?" Splashing around, he quickly closed the distance between us. "Aderyn, I don't think that at all. In fact, I think it'll do you some good with me being gone."

My heart stopped in my chest. He wanted me to-?

"Well, that's great! Because you're leaving in a matter of days and then you'll get your wish. Complete and utter freedom from me," I was trembling not from the cold water but from my anger and resentment.

I stomped through the water back towards my horse, too angry to even tell him the real reason behind my mood.

"You know that's not what I meant," he sighed, resigning. "I don't want to leave you but... you know I'll be coming back soon."

With my back to him I continued walking, spitting through my teeth a hint of the real bitterness in my heart. "Is that what you told Elizabeth too?"

Everything froze except for me. The wind even seemed to stop blowing through the trees and even the babbling and bubbling of the river seemed to quiet, eager to hear what Brynn's response would be.

Part of me wanted him to run up to me and grab me and cry, begging for forgiveness all the while trying to persuade me that it was all a wicked lie. But the other half of me was still angry and wanted nothing more than to just be left alone by everyone and everything for once in my life.

And out of those two choices, the one I got left me saddened. Because he didn't come after me. He didn't even say a word. And the last thing I saw before riding away was him standing, frozen like a statue, knee deep in the water, staring after me with his mouth propped open.

After that I was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Four

~Aderyn~

The morning came for Brynn to be knighted and I felt absolutely wretched. The day he had been dreaming of- the day I, myself, had looked forward to since we were only children came upon us and my mood was a curse I couldn't shake free of.

We had passed by each other more times than I had wished and each time I tried to avert my eyes, as he did as well. He purposefully brought Elizabeth around once, and I knew this because of how he doted on her; like they were on their honeymoon it seemed. But by this time I was so seeped in fury that I felt nothing but betrayal; no sense of jealousy, sadness, or loss even sparked in my mind.

The size of the crowd who came to watch the knighting ceremony was colossal; the largest crowd I had ever seen. My father took his seat on the throne and ushered my mother and I forward to begin the ceremony. Unlike Brynn's wish for me to knight him, my mother, the queen, had the lovely task to perform. I, however, did have a gift of my own to present.

SIX YEARS EARLIER...

Nobody should ever have to experience the pain of death at such a young age. It was a grief that mother had told me could turn even the warmest of hearts black.

As my best friend stared down into the cedar box containing his mother's beautiful, lifeless body, it was almost too much for me to bear. No twelve year old should have to stare down at their beloved mother in a cold box. But Brynn did.

And I wept right along with him. Lady Anneliese was just as beautiful in death as she was in life although the difference was as vast and endless as the horizon. Her once creamy skin and rosy cheeks were gray as ash and her silky black hair—like Brynn's—rolled over her shoulders in long waves and curls, one section pulled back by a shiny red ribbon.

Moments before she died she told her husband that she wished to be buried in her favorite dress; a bright red velvet beauty that she looked stunning in.

Her husband honored her wish and that was the last thing we ever saw her wear.

Brynn's father was the first to say goodbye, sliding a white Lilly between her hands before kissing her and turning and walking away, where he disappeared for a week afterward.

Brynn refused to say goodbye until everyone else did. Perhaps maybe it was to hang on to the farce that she was still alive for just a few more moments.

The crowd soon cleared and Brynn stared down at his mother's face; I stood just a few feet behind him. His twelve year old body looked so fragile—like glass. I looked up at Lady Catherine, who had attended the funeral service with me, and she nodded for me to go comfort him.

I stepped up next to him and placed my hand on his shoulder. It was all I could think to do and it felt awkward. I held my breath as I looked down at her up-close for the first time. And then Brynn did something peculiar that I didn't understand.

He reached down and gently caressed his mother's cheek, kissed it, and then reached up to that single red ribbon that wound through her hair. He tugged at it gently and it unraveled and hung limply in his hands. He stared down at it for a long while and then turned to me, his red-rimmed eyes pooling with more tears.

I pulled him into a tight embrace and felt his hot tears roll down my shoulders and collarbone until they soaked into my black dress.

I don't know how long we stood there for but it didn't matter; Brynn needed me and I would be there for him as long as that need was there.

But soon enough he pulled back, took my hand in his and curled my fingers back so that my open palm faced upward. Then, ever so gently, he tucked the ribbon in my hand, closed my fingers around it, turned, and walked away.

I snapped out of my memory and back to the present where I was staring down into the small gold trunk where the ribbon now rested.

I wore white, as was the tradition, but tied the ribbon around my right wrist and tucked it under my loose sleeve before heading for the great hall where the crowds assembled.

When my father had ushered us forward, I stepped up to the left hand side of my mother and gazed down the aisle at where Brynn stood at the back of the room. My mother held her hand out for him to come and the thundering applause of the crowd made him glow with pride; even my heart swelled for him.

My face grew hot when he knelt before us and the crowd, now quieted, took their seats. Warm words of encouragement and adoration poured from my mother's lips as she opened the ceremony in her own personal style. When I looked down at Brynn he gazed up at my mother with the utmost respect and I secretly wished that he would look at me.

My wish came true.

I was willing to set everything aside to give him this happiness. I smiled at him softly but his face reflected no emotion at all that I could detect. I blinked back tears and rested my gaze on the crowd where I unfortunately caught the eye of Elizabeth. I looked at her as a rich man might stare at a single coin; disinterestedly. She seemed to take the hint, straightening her spine some and turning her attention back to the ceremony.

Then came the moment we had all been waiting for. Everyone sat forward in their seats and a servant stepped forward to hand my mother a sword.

With a tap on each shoulder Brynn's face lit up with an expression of both triumph and relief.

"Rise, Sir Brynn Terris of Lockford," she announced and the crowd roared once again. I turned slightly to look at her and she nodded only once. After rising and facing the crowd as a knight for the first time, he turned back to my mother and I and bowed to her first and then me, and finally to my father.

"One more thing," my mother announced and at once she had everyone's attention. Brynn's face flooded with utter confusion as I stepped forward and reached out for his hand. He curiously offered it freely to me; in my peripheral vision I could see Elizabeth squirm in her seat.

I tugged loose the ribbon and I could hear his breathing stop as he recognized what it was at once.

Ever so gently I tied the ribbon around his wrist, bowed my head to him, and then took a step back where I was once again next to my mother.

He held his wrist up and stared at the silky ribbon that once belonged to his mother.

Was it shock written on his face? Confusion? Anger?

I wasn't quite sure. But what was done was done and I heard him slowly exhale as he turned back towards the on-lookers and held up his wrist for all to see.

Taking that as a clue, however confusing, they erupted into one last roar of applause before everyone was dismissed for food and entertainment in the dining hall.

I was faintly aware of someone trying to get my attention, but I blocked everything out and as quickly as I could manage, without attracting attention to myself, I fled to my chambers.


	5. Chapter 5

Five

~Aderyn~

Three days passed and not so much as a peep was heard from Brynn. He was due to leave in the morning for St. Andrews and would be gone for eight months at least; so I had heard from Henry, who had overheard my father speaking to Sir Robert as he served them their dinner the night after the knighting ceremony.

Without Brynn's presence around I found I had much more free time to do whatever else I pleased; which would have been lovely if I had any passion for being alone.

I even started to learn French and German, pouring my heart and soul into total concentration on the books Lady Catherine gave to me. I think she, and everyone else I came into contact with, could tell that this wasn't an easy time for me.

"Princess," Lady Catherine began as we both sat by the fire and read the day after the ceremony. I looked up at her and her face was taut with worry. For a moment she did not speak and nothing could be heard but the crackling of the fire. "It's not as if Brynn has died," she said. "He has a duty now and-"

"Lady Catherine, you know I listen to you in all things but just for this once I wish you would be quiet." I turned the page to _Tristan and Iseult _and continued reading.

She didn't bother saying another word.

With a cry of disgust I slammed the book shut and tossed it on the floor.

"Your majesty?" Lady Catherine stared after me with her mouth hanging open. I was on my feet, pacing in fury, scowling at the book.

"I can't read that garbage," I said and went to chose another piece of literature from the tall shelf that lined the wall of the small library where we sat. Lady Catherine knelt down and picked up the book, examining the cover and cradling it in her delicate hands.

"This is a beautiful book," she said and placed it gently on the table.

"It's complete nonsense," I deterred. "Tristan is an arrogant fool who only cares about his _duty._" I spat the last word.

"And what of Iseult?"

"She..." My voice grew soft. "She's stupid for loving him in the first place. She should have never gotten attached; not with how different they both are."

"Ah," she said and I gave up on finding a book and stared into the fire. "And you're talking about the book, are you?"

I turned and glared at her.

"That's what I thought." She heaved a big sigh. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you've got about an hour before dinner and Sir Brynn is dining with you and the king and queen. So whatever you seem to be dealing with..." She motioned to the book with both hands. "I simply suggest you do what you must to either expel your anger or contain it... lest you blow up the castle with your antics."

"What can I possibly do?"

"Talk to him. Wish him good luck. Kiss his cheek, and say goodbye. Hard times are not just a part of a serf's life, you ought to know that. Emotional pain knows no age or gender or lifestyle."

_Talk to him? And what exactly would I tell him? 'I hate you and want you to leave but I love you and want you to stay'? He's my best friend; my brother, my other half. How was I going to survive each and every day without the one who makes me laugh? No, I can't talk to him. I'll just end up looking like a fool. Or worse._

"I'll muster up as much dignity as I can," I muttered. "For Brynn."

"Think of it this way then," she said, giving in to my childish pouting. "It's true that you won't see him while he's away from court. But that means Elizabeth won't as well."

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

"Oh, for the love of the holy Lord," she cried. "You sicken me, child."

"_What_?" I laughed.

"You're smiling at the pain of someone else who cares for Brynn just as much as you do!"

"That's _not _true. She _barely _knows him!"

"That's not what I meant," Lady Catherine shook her head at me.

"She's not right for him," I stated and crossed my arms.

"And who ever _will_ be, your majesty? Brynn would shrivel up and die an old man before you would find him a suitable match and you know it's true."

"It's _not _true! How _dare _you say that about me. He's my best friend! I only want the best for him and Elizabeth is _not _the best, believe me. She's the next in line to take over the throne of evil once Lucinda decides to croak!"

"I'm glad he's leaving! Listen to how you talk! It's a wonder the king and queen haven't forbade you from seeing him!"

"Excuse me for having a mind of my own," I rolled my eyes. "I'll try to be more respectable and proper. And by that I mean boring and dull and _completely_ spineless!"

"I admire your spirit, princess, I really do. Women like you are few and far between but it just frightens me that the only other woman in history that I can think of who's like you is Joan of Ark and you _know _what happened to her."

"I'm not leading a _crusade_ or practicing _witchcraft _or _bathing_ in the _blood_ of my enemies," I brewed. "I'm just simply telling it like it is. There's hardly a girl my age who hasn't harbored secret hatred towards another despite if she's done anything against her or not."

"And that's the difference between our generations. My generation can hold our tongues and yours just simply can't."

"And I'm not about to change that," I said.

I had won the argument and my winning prize was her silence; something I truly appreciated at the moment.

My shoes clicked quietly against the stairs as I made my way to the dining hall for what I knew was to be an uncomfortable evening in more ways than one. I had taken Lady Catherine's advice and wore what she called the "blue beauty," a dress that brought out the blue in my eyes. It would have been a perfectly comfortable dress to wear but of course it had silvers designs littering from the waist down and around the collar and down the sleeves.

It was beautiful, yet it itched worse than any of my other dresses.

I continued to click my way down the corridors until I found myself entering the dining hall.

It has always been a favorite room of mine in the castle. The roaring fireplace was large enough for a playhouse for me when I was just a child. The ivory-colored candles that lit the room as well were scented with the tiniest hint of vanilla and it always made me feel welcome. The floor was hard as stone in most places but I the center a large, beautifully decorated, ornate rug flooded the area; of course in the center of this long rug was where the table and chairs were placed.

On the table was placed a delicious arrangement of food for tonight's dinner. From where I stood in the entrance I could see cheeses and grapes of all kinds, pies and salted pork and roasted duck it looked like. A corked bottle held what I could only imagine was the finest wine in the kingdom, for that was all that my father would tolerate.

While I very much wanted to run to the table and take my seat, I couldn't.

Because sitting there in one of the high back chairs was Brynn, staring at me.

When he saw that he had finally caught my attention he stood and bowed.

I crossed the room, looking around for any sign of my parents, until I arrived at the table. I looked up at Brynn as he stared down at me and gave him a nervous, quizzical glance.

"Where are my parents?" I voiced my concern aloud, my eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"His majesties thought that perhaps you and I should talk in private. Apparently there's been some tension between us?" His expression was bemused. I took my seat and nervously nibbled on a small piece of cheese that sat on my plate.

"Talk about what?"

"Well, maybe this, perhaps," he suggested and pulled the ribbon out from somewhere under the table. He held it out to show me and the shiny fabric caught the light from the candles.

"I thought you might want to keep it as a favor from your mother on your travels." The subject was so touchy that I couldn't speak to him without using a soft tone. When I saw his jaw tighten I waited for him to speak next.

"Thank you," was all he said. I thought it was strange that he didn't offer to say anything further but when I looked in his eyes they seemed glazed over; almost tear-filled. At once I knelt on the floor beside him and took his hands in mine.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know this would hurt you." The misery in my voice must have been apparent, all signs of resentment erased from my face and mind.

"No, no," he squeezed my hands tightly for a brief moment. "It's not that. I just miss her and... I can't believe you still have this. It's been... six years."

"I knew how much she meant to you. And she meant a lot to me too. I couldn't just throw it away."

"I know you cared about her. That's why I gave you the ribbon in the first place." He laughed a little. "And now you're giving it back."

"It's something small you can keep with you always. It's perfect for your trip. A reminder of your mother, of home; a token to keep you safe while you're away."

He stood up and pulled me up with him, gently urging me to sit in my chair. This time he knelt down beside me, our hands still clasped tightly.

"You shouldn't be kneeling to me," he quickly explained and then looked me straight in the eyes. "I should have told you about Elizabeth and myself. It was wrong the way you found out about it."

"Yeah, well, you gave Lucinda the perfect chance to make me miserable," I said seriously and he frowned.

"She's still young, you know? Sixteen. And scared about me leaving," he spoke slowly like he always did when he was having trouble telling me something. I felt my entire body tense in suspicion. _What does he want from me? This is _not _good_. "I need you to do me a favor. I'm willing to beg if I have to."

I stared into his dark eyes, watching the reflection of the fire behind me flicker in his desperate gaze. How could I deny him something he was so willing to beg me for?

"What is it?"

"Watch over her?" he asked. My heart stopped and my jaw tightened. _What?_ "She has nobody; no friends her age. I'm afraid to leave her to be torn apart by Lucinda or Marie and Mary; you know how they are. Please, Aderyn. Take care of her. Be her friend." I could not believe what I was hearing. "For me?" He added in an almost pleading voice.

It was a good thing the room was reasonably dark. I could feel my face and ears growing how, my blood reaching it's boiling point.

After everything that we have went through the past couple of days, after him finally understanding how I felt about this relationship with her, after _everything_... he still had the audacity to ask me for this _favor_? I didn't know what to say.

"Ah... I... really don't think I'm the right person for the job, Brynn," I shook my head and closed my eyes. He chewed on his lip and grew silent, scrutinizing my face as I practically shoved a huge block of cheese down my throat.

"Why not Beatrice? Or- or Ann? They'd both love to make a new friend!"

"But you wouldn't?" He sounded angry now and I immediately back-pedaled.

"I didn't say that," I said.

"It sounded implied."

"Why _me_?"

"Because I know I can trust you. And Elizabeth wants to stay here at the castle instead of go back to Crimshaw. And I'm sure the Earl would love it if her daughter could stay at court. Perhaps she could even lend Lady Catherine a helping hand with you now that I'll be gone." He laughed and I glared at him.

"I'm so happy you can laugh about this because I sure am having a hard time with it."

"So you won't do this one favor for me then?"

I stared up at him and then reached for my wine goblet, taking a sip without looking away from Brynn. Suddenly, I had an idea.

"I'll make you a deal. If you promise to come back, I promise to do my best to watch after... Elizabeth." I blinked a few times and averted my eyes from his for just a moment to place the goblet back on the table. When I looked back I saw a smile begin to form on his face.

"You know I can't promise anything like that," he smiled and I cringed. "But I'll try."

Well, it was better than nothing; a fair enough compromise. And now I had to try and hold up my part of the bargain that I still hadn't fully agreed to.

"You can talk to Lady Catherine yourself about agreeing to accept Elizabeth as her second. I have no control over that, really." Well, I did, but I was banking on Brynn not knowing that and apparently he didn't.

A bright smile stretched across his face and he jumped up and pulled me into a tight embrace.

It seemed so cliché that it would rain the morning Brynn left. The wind had stopped but it still didn't prevent the rain from pouring; and it fit my mood completely.

He hugged me tightly and kissed my cheek, smiling into my face for the last time before he ventured into the unknown. When he turned to Elizabeth, who already began to follow me around like a lost dog, I could hear her stifled sobs. It was nauseating how she barely knew him and yet she cried as if her eyes were waterways leading from cascading waterfalls.

As he galloped away at full speed, out of sight before he even reached the hilltop because of the rain, Elizabeth buried her face in Lady Catherine's shoulder and cried for what seemed like hours. How she could manage to make such a fuss while I stayed completely grounded was beyond me.

Lady Catherine quietly soothed her as she led her away from the barn and back into the warm castle, rubbing her shoulders and murmuring tenderly into her ear. I just stood and stared at the empty space where I had just moments before caught a glimpse of my best friend.

"Princess," Lady Catherine called to me. "The wind is picking up. I suggest we all get inside," she said and I could still hear Elizabeth sniffling.

The castle had never felt so empty to me before. Everything seemed hollow; there were dozens of rooms but there was no life to them.

I felt haunted, like someone or something was watching my every move even though I knew I was all alone.

And that's when it hit me. How much I had already begun to miss Brynn. How big of a role he played in my life. And how the reason I felt so hollow, so alone, so empty inside... was because I was being haunted by the memories that Brynn and I made and shared together within the castle walls.

These mementos of our past seemed to leap out at me from every angle; catching me by surprise around each and every corner; memories I had completely forgotten about until just now—that didn't register as something significant in my life until this very moment.

I wonder if it's anything like when your life flashes before your eyes right before you're about to die. In some twisted and morbid way, though, a part of me had just died today. But maybe I could learn to live without that part, God willing.

Right at that moment, as if God were sending me an annoying little reminder, I heard someone behind me clear their throat and turned to see Lady Catherine waiting for me.

"Perhaps you should talk to her," she said sighing. "I really haven't got a clue as to what to say to calm the poor girl."

"What could I possibly say?" I could barely speak, feeling like my tongue had swollen like cotton in my mouth; feeling a crying headache coming on although I shed no tears.

"You know Brynn better than anyone. I'm sure you can think of something," she answered and strolled passed me as I reluctantly made my way to the staircase. "I'll be up in a moment," she said rubbing her forehead. "As soon as I fix some tea for us all to help settle the nerves. God help me if I need something stronger than that." Elizabeth was already giving Lady Catherine a headache as well and some part of me felt comforted.

"Right," I muttered to myself and slowly padded up the stairs towards my own personal little hell.


	6. Chapter 6

Six

~Aderyn~

When I entered my room there Elizabeth stood with her hands clutched tightly in front of her, her eyes red-rimmed and glazed over, and her bottom lip jutting out and trembling as if trying to hold back more tears. _Might as well make the most of it, Aderyn. You're stuck with her for the rest of—_I cut that unpleasant thought short and sighed, readying myself for the many, many days to come.

"You don't have to be so brave," I told her as gently as I could manage, taking a step towards her. She shrank back a little—_okay, that makes me feel horrible—_and bit her lip, unsure.

"I'm afraid I do, your highness," she said and her voice sounded awful. When was Lady Catherine returning with that tea? I walked over to her and awkwardly guided her to sit down in my high-back chair.

"I know how you feel. Believe me if there's anyone who can come close to feeling the pain you do right now, it's me." She stared up at me, her quivering lip growing out of control. "You understand that, don't you?" She nodded quickly and sniffled loudly, making me cringe a little.

"I love him," she blubbered and I mentally scoffed. I took a deep breath and let it out, forcing myself to smile at her sympathetically.

"I know. I do too," I said.

"But I-"

"Ah, ah ah!" I cut her off before she could start making wild accusations and assumptions. "Let me finish." Her mouth shut with an audible _pop_. "Love comes in many forms. You feel one sort of love for him and I feel another. But they are both _still _types of love. Do you understand _that_?"

She nodded once again.

"You've known him so much longer than I have," she stated, sniffling again. _So, so much longer_, I thought to myself. "You haven't shed a single tear and yet you're telling me that I don't have to be brave?"

"I suppose you think me a hypocrite." It wasn't a question and she laughed nervously. "That's just one of the differences between you and I."

"That what? I'm a blubbering fool and you're the stoic heroin?" I smiled. _Smart girl_. I shook my head.

"No. Just that you're more tender-hearted than I am. And besides I knew that this day would eventually come for _years_. I had a lot of time to mentally prepare for it and you did not."

"I suppose I hadn't thought of it that way," she said, staring down at her hands.

I left her there and walked over to the small table near my bed where my favorite compilation book of poetry rested and picked it up, reading to kill time. _I'm going to end up with my own library someday with all the time I'll waste reading_, I thought unhappily to myself.

When Lady Catherine brought the tea I gracefully accepted my cup while promptly skipping past all the poems specifically written about romance and love. Across the room I could hear Lady Catherine murmuring to Elizabeth.

"Are you feeling better?" I heard her ask in a low voice.

"A little, thanks to Princess Aderyn," I heard the response through Elizabeth's tiny voice. I ineptly averted my eyes from my book for a moment and curiously stared at the girl who held Brynn's heart in her delicate and pale hands. She was very pretty; younger than Brynn and I, and bright-eyed.

Without even needing to flip to the page I was reminded of a love poem in the book that talked about how a man viewed a woman's beauty in a variety of different ways. I had just assumed that maybe there was no more than just light hair, bright eyes, creamy skin and pouted lips that Brynn liked about Elizabeth; but perhaps there could be more.

I studied her more carefully.

The way she carried herself physically could either mean she was a snob or that she had a lot of self-respect. As for smarts, it was too soon to tell if she had any of those. I couldn't imagine Brynn courting some air-headed, big-chested wench of a girl but maybe I was giving him far too much credit.

If there was one thing I never talked to Brynn about in all our many long years as friends growing up together, it was relationships. I had never found any interest in any boy—ever—and I just assumed Brynn felt the same way. That is, until he proved me wrong.

Maybe that's the real reason why he didn't tell me. Maybe he thought it would have been an awkward situation. It made enough sense. After all we _had_ never talked about those types of things before.

"Your majesty?" I jumped, not noticing that Lady Catherine had been standing next to me and, apparently, talking to me. I stared up at her and she bent down to whisper to me.

"Sorry," I muttered.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Well, you did a good job," she said, peeking back at Elizabeth. "She seems to be in better spirits."

"Good. I'm glad." And somehow, I found, I really was.

"I ran into the King in the halls," Lady Catherine said and the tone in her voice caught my attention.

"And?" She took a deep breath.

"The war is coming. And fast. I know in your heart you had hopes Brynn would be home sooner rather than later but... I don't want you living in that sort of false hope that he'll return any day now. You'll make yourself sick; you and Elizabeth both."

Right now I was too numb to even think about that possibility. After all, what difference would it make? He was already gone. If he died... how would things be any different?

I scolded myself, knowing that if he were to die, I would somehow be right there behind him. I couldn't bear to hear the news of Brynn's death any more than I could my mother or father.

"I know that, Lady Catherine," I said and sighed. She stared at me for a few more moments and then ushered Elizabeth out of the room where I could sleep.

I must not have been the only one Brynn asked to keep an eye on his dearly beloved Elizabeth.

The next morning I awoke to the pleasant surprise of Lady Catherine in my room but no one else. I longed to latch on to the thought that I had dreamed it all up and that I would soon be heading out into the stables to see Brynn.

But then I heard thunder roaring outside the castle and felt the dampness of rain in the air and I knew he was gone.

I quickly changed into a dark green dress and headed down for an early morning walk to the marketplace within the small square outside the castle walls. Businesses were closed everywhere; even the small flower cart was covered in a tarp, the lady who sold them nowhere in sight.

I walked underneath covered stalls and soon ducked into a small bakery shop where the owner offered me a hot cup of tea and the freshest bread from the oven.

"Yes, thank you," I smiled at the older man, thankful that I could eat outside the castle walls without having to see Elizabeth anywhere.

But, as if the little ray of sunshine seemed to have a keen sense of where to find me, in she entered—followed by three other training quires who were friends of Brynn.

I remembered their names being Peter, John and Robin. Very common names for the three not-so-common boys. I inhaled and held my breath as they lead Elizabeth to the front of the bakery, so occupied by her beauty that they didn't notice my presence at all. Instead of being annoyed by that, I found it strangely comforting.

I decided to wait until the perfect moment to quietly slip away; although my stomach rumbled with hunger I was not willing to chance being caught.

"One moment, miss," the baker said and I froze as I heard his footsteps grow closer to me—no doubt he was delivering my food.

"Here you are, your grace," he said and placed the steaming cup of hot tea and warm bread in front of me.

"Thank you," I managed to say as quietly as possible but I soon heard the laughing of one of the boys.

"Your majesty!" I turned and gave an impish smile to Peter, who rushed to my side, bowed, and kissed my hand. The other two were quick to follow suit, leaving Elizabeth standing awkwardly at the counter.

"I think it wise for you to not forget your charge," I say to them, motioning towards Elizabeth and causing her to turn red from embarrassment.

"Brynn's asked that we keep an eye on her while he's away," John said, his dirty blond hair falling neatly back into place after he ran his hands through it.

"Yes, I'm aware," I said aloud and then added under my breath, "I am her keeper by night."

"Perhaps your majesty would like some company?" Robin asked and looked me straight in the eyes. I swallowed hard and knew what my answer would have to be.

"I would like that very much. You may all join me," I said and struggled to keep my composure while they bustled into their seats.

"So, how are you fairing with Brynn being away so far, your majesty?" Peter, who sat directly across from me, asked. I could tell he chose his words carefully. I found it rather odd that he was treating me so... differently. It was always understood among the three boys that they weren't to give me any special royal treatment so I had to think it was only for Elizabeth's benefit.

"He's not even been gone twenty-four hours yet," I tried to laugh.

"Well, yes," John answered. "But by now you'd be out somewhere with him, would you not?-Ow!" He groaned and I saw him exchange an angered look with Robin. He looked at the strained expression on both mine and Elizabeth's faces and quickly tried to right himself. "I mean, if he weren't with Lady Elizabeth- Ouch!" Yet another slip-up.

The other two boys shook their heads and an awkward silence hung in the air.

"I think the answer you were looking for is this," I said and smiled warmly at John. "We all miss him terribly. But he shall be back before we know it."

Robin bit the side of his mouth and cleared his throat.

"Well, yes, of course he will!" he beamed with false enthusiasm and I felt a little bit of the hope inside of me fade away at his uncertainty. Peter, thankfully, changed the subject.

"Any news from the Prince? Of the war? Anything at all?" I had to smile. My older brother, Prince Edward, had gone away on his sixteenth birthday to travel the world and had yet to return. The last we had heard from him, he had joined the royal army and was heading to St. Andrews where Brynn was now well on his journey towards.

"Last I heard he was instructing a hoard of men to play cards with him," I teased and everyone laughed. "But I believe he thinks this war is more serious than we think it will be."

My heart sank a little more at this new revelation. Not only was my best friend out there amongst the danger but the next in line to the crown—my brother—was as well.

I loved my brother. He was always kind to me and understanding. He inherited the good looks and charm, leaving me with the skinned knees and the embarrassing moments. We were complete and utter polar opposites but had never quarreled a day in our lives.

He is blond, I am auburn; his eyes are bright and cheery, mine are dark and mysterious; his skin is creamy and mine is pale; his voice makes him sound strong and sure, mine makes me sound a bit brusque at times; the girls fawned over him—much like they did Brynn—and I was looked upon like a tomboy.

I smiled at the memory of my twenty-year-old brother. Maybe someday he would return and I would warmly welcome him home.

"Maybe he'll meet up with Brynn," Peter's grin widened at my silent musings.

"Maybe they'll both return together on the same day, even," John added hopefully.

"I think I might die of sheer astonishment if that happened," I said and laughed. Elizabeth cleared her throat.

"Did Prince Edward have any intention of taking the throne?" she asked.

"He... wanted to be free to do as he pleased before he made any sort of..." I stopped and cleared my throat, searching for the right words. "Commitment." That seemed proper enough. "Edward is quite the free spirit."

"Like you," Robin added and I blushed.

"On a different level." I turned back to Elizabeth and smiled. "Edward can do no wrong. He's the pride and joy of the King and Queen. And I love him with all my heart."

"It must have been hard to see him go," Elizabeth ventured.

"It was. But I knew it would make him happy. And I know he'll come back when the time is right."

Elizabeth smiled sweetly at me and blushed from the attention she received from Peter, John and Robin, who thought she was the most amazing creature they had ever seen.

Even I found I was beginning to like her a little. Although her overly-innocent personality annoyed me to no end. If she was to be my charge then I would have to tolerate it, but perhaps I could try to make her a little more rough around the edges. _That _was certain to ruffle Brynn's feathers a bit.

I didn't exactly plan on corrupting her, but the girl seemed like she had a hard time saying no to anything. '_Yes, please. Thank you_,' when Robin offered her more tea. '_Why, I'd be delighted,_' when Peter would suggest he give her a tour of the squires indoor training facilities. '_I'd love that,_' she'd answer when John sweetened the deal by offering her riding lessons on his champion horse.

I shuddered to think at what else the dim-wit would say yes to.

That would have to be fixed. Immediately.

I had a lot of work to do it seemed.


	7. Chapter 7

Seven

~Brynn~

The port at St. Andrews was nothing like I had expected it to be, much to my surprise. I had expected the worst, as I was told to do by Sir Robert, only to be greeted with a green countryside where the townspeople smiled as they went about their work.

Even upon arriving at the camp sight where I was to check in a receive my orders the men were all in good spirits. It wasn't the mass chaos and hell hole I had expected it to be. And while I was relieved at the serenity of the place, I felt strangely confused by it all.

Dropping my things under a large tree I shuffled up to the large table where a burly man sat surrounded by parchments of all sorts.

"Name," he said without looking up at me.

"Sir Brynn Terris of Lockford," I stated, not at all bemused by his surly attitude. He began to scratch down my name and then stopped short and stared up at me.

"Terris, you say?" the man looked up at me.

"Yes," I answered.

"Got a letter 'ere about you, sir," he said and pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment paper.

"About me?"

"Says 'ere you're to report to the Lieutenant's tent at once." The large man eyed me suspiciously and I had to admit it was rather intimidating considering his size versus mine.

"Does it say why?"

"'At's not my business, sir," he answered and crossed his arms.

"Which way to the tent?" I asked and surveyed my surroundings. He motioned with his chin up the a large hill where a giant tent with flags rested.

"The lieutenant should be in 'is tent righ' about now," he said and I thanked him and retrieved my things.

I silently thanked God for my many years of training. Had I had not been prepared for such a hike up this steep hill, my legs would have certainly failed me.

I looked up at the placement of the sun and wondered what Elizabeth was doing. I hope Aderyn kept good on her promise; God knows she had to really gain more self-control to keep from going insane. But I trusted her enough with Elizabeth. In time she would come to love her as I have. I'm sure of it.

Well... almost sure of it.

The tent was not grand as I would have expected a lieutenant's headquarters to be. But then again he wasn't the Captain, but the second in command after him. The tent was large in size but that was the only difference between it and the dull gray canvassed fabric of the company tents.

I pushed back the flap that served as the door and saw a man standing leaning over a table covered in maps, his back towards me. I cleared my throat and made myself known.

"Lieutenant? Sir Brynn Terris of Lockford," I said and the man straightened and turned around.

"It's about time you got here!" The smile of an old friend greeted me as Prince Edward himself placed his hands on his hips and began laughing. I stood there in complete shock, not knowing what to say.

"Edward?"

"Yes, it would appear so," he said, smirking at me.

"_You're _the lieutenant?"

"Again, it would appear so." He laughed again and came to hug me. "And look at _you_!" he said once he backed away and leaned against the table, folding his arms in front of him and looking me up and down. "You haven't changed a bit. Except maybe you're a bit taller."

"I should say the same for you. Your hair is longer."

"The Queen would be horrified," he answered and smiled.

"I think she'd just be glad to have you home," I retorted.

"I heard the news that you were being knighted and told the captain that it would be wise for me to keep an eye on you."

"And I greatly appreciate that. I think I'm probably the most inexperienced person here," I said and felt a small wave of hysteria sweep through me.

"Nonsense. These men haven't had direct training under the crown as you have," he waved his hand and motioned for me to join him by the table, pointing at the maps. "Take a look."

All of the spots marked in red were—presumably—the enemy camps. Red marks littered the maps. As I studied, Edward made light conversation.

"How's everything back home?"

"Nothing's changed a bit," I answered, barely paying attention.

"And my sister?"

I stopped and looked up at him with a smirk.

"Same as always. Although I think she's a bit vexed with me right now."

"For leaving her, no doubt. That's Aderyn for you, as stubborn as ever." Edward laughed and I straightened up.

"Not as much that as the little chore I gave her to do while I'm away," I confessed and Edward looked at me in confusion.

"You gave her a chore." his question came out more like a confused statement. I tried to smile but it felt all wrong.

"Yes, a chore."

"What _kind _of a chore?" I smiled as Elizabeth's face flashed into my mind. Edward recognized that look at once and shook his head.

"It's a girl, isn't it?" I must have looked utterly guilty as sin itself. "You're crazier than I remembered," he said, shaking his head once again.

"What?"

"You're bloody out of your mind, Brynn," he said and looked serious. His seriousness was a bit unsettling as Prince Edward was usually such a jovial young man; he was only two years my senior, just as he was to Aderyn. Was my leaving Aderyn in charge of Elizabeth truly a bad idea? Apparently so.

"It'll be fine. Aderyn won't do anything," I dismissed his uncertainty.

"If you say so."

Now I was starting to feel both paranoid _and _annoyed.

"Why are you so against this?"

"If you go back and your dearly beloved is missing a few extremities, don't go blaming me."

"Why would Aderyn-"

"She'd make up _some_ sort of story I'm sure and make the whole thing okay."

I stared at him, completely horrified. He laughed and slapped his palm across my shoulder.

"I'm _just _kidding. I can understand why she'd be vexed with you but Aderyn won't harm the girl. No, of course not! She loves you far too much. I just hope you were sensitive to my sister's feelings when you asked of this favor, however."

"What do you mean?

He looked at me as if I were an idiot.

"Nothing. Forget I said it. Let's concentrate on this war. The sooner we end it, the sooner we have you back home."

"And what about you? Do you ever plan on coming back to Wales?"

"I'm still debating. I know I'll visit for mother's sake as soon as I possibly can. But as for my _duty_ to the crown... consider it paid in full with this little act." He motioned to his surroundings.

"Who would become king then if the king was to..." I nodded and shrugged my shoulders.

"Ah, now _that_... _that_ is a story best saved for a different day," Edward said and sniffed, bending back over the tables and insisting he inform me on all the strategies I needed to be up to speed with the progress of this new war raging in the north.

"Tomorrow Captain Hemmingway and the ship arrives to take us to the Shetland Islands."

"Captain Hemmingway?" Edward nodded solemnly.

"Now, _he's _a man who's as crazy as it gets. You'll see when you meet him."

"What, is he a vampire or something?"

Edward laughed.

"To his enemies, yes. But to be honest, I really haven't been able to come up with a word to properly describe him as of yet. Maybe you'll be of some help once you've met him."

"Maybe," I said and found myself asking a ton of questions in my head.

_What is this Captain Hemmingway all about? What will happen if Edward doesn't take the throne? Will they find someone else? Will they expect Aderyn to take it? Aderyn. How is she treating Elizabeth? How is Elizabeth? I'll have to remember to write to her the first chance I get. What if she finds another? Surely, there are others at court who will try to distract her from me. Will Aderyn be quick to spot it? Can I even trust her to try and __stop it? Or will she just allow Elizabeth to slip away from me? What about-_

"Brynn..." Edward's voice cut through the thoughts screaming in my head. I looked up at him. "Are you alright?"

"Yes... I'm fine," I answered.

But suddenly I wasn't so sure.


	8. Chapter 8

Eight

~Brynn~

I saddled up Addy and was ready to go among the last group of men. By the time I trekked up the hill to Edward, he was pulling on his gloves and chuckling at me.

"Late start this morning?"

"I'll work on that," I answered and yawned.

It was a rather chilly morning and when I exhaled heavily I could see my breath come out in a thin steam in the nippy breeze.

"I've already been down to the port and greeted Hemmingway. He's very anxious to meet you."

"Why is that?"

"Well, I told him you were close friends with the crown and that seemed to settle well with him. Although I can't possibly imagine why," Edward rolled his eyes and stepped out of his tent to where his horse awaited him.

"After you board, head for the Captain's quarters. He'll be waiting there for you," he sighed and mounted, before trotting off down the hill.

The ship was magnificent in size—unlike anything I had ever seen before. The height of the sails alone could rival the tallest flag on the top of the castle at Wales and I felt a little foolish being the only one in a sea of men to seem amazed at the sight of it all.

As I boarded the ship I peered down into the murky waters and started to feel a little uneasy. I would never forgive myself if, after all my training, I was unable to board the enormous thing without feeling ill. An older man who passed by me seemed to easily read the tension on my face and slapped me on the back, almost knocking me over.

"Don't worry, lad. You'll get your sea legs soon enough. Although probably not on this journey. Too short for some miracles," he chuckled and picked up the pace, leaving me to my uneasiness.

Edward was already somewhere on board, probably with Captain Hemmingway, so I aimed all of my focus on finding the barracks that I would call home for the time being.

It was nothing _too _impressive; a long room lined with bunks hanging from the walls by thick chains and skimpy-looking ladders that lead to the top bunk. I tossed my sack on the floor next to the first empty bed and slumped down onto the make-shift mattress. It wasn't as comfortable as it looked—and it didn't look very promising to begin with. I stared down at my hands and thought of Elizabeth; of how much I missed her.

If I were back home right now we would probably be at court; I would be taking her by the dress shops and showing her off to the boys back in the stables.

When my heart started to ache I knew I should stop thinking about her before I made myself too homesick. I couldn't afford that right now; especially since my journey had just begun. I closed my eyes for a few more minutes and set my sights on then introducing myself to Captain Hemmingway.

I ventured back out onto the deck where the sails were being hoisted to catch the wind; the beginning of my first journey at sea. A wave of nausea rolled through me and I took a deep breath of the salty sea air—which didn't help my case—before heading towards the captain's quarters.

Many of the men around me were at the ship's edge, waving goodbye to their wives and children, family and friends. I was one of the few aboard who had no one to see me off. I had already said my goodbyes.

As I shoved past a hoard of men, I noticed that many of them knew each other. This shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did considering that I was one of the newer recruits. But still I felt out of place and awkward.

When I reached the large mahogany doors with intricate carvings of depictions of the story of Poseidon, I took another deep breath and knocked loudly.

When it opened there stood Captain Hemmingway in all his glory. I had to admit he was nothing like what I expected, and that was a good thing. Some part of me envisioned an older and experienced-looking man with gray, weary eyes and a long white beard. I pictured him smoking a pipe and blowing smoke into the face of his pet parrot; I had pictured a pirate.

Captain Hemmingway was of a nice build and looked like he was in his late thirties or early forties. His coppery hair curled and waved down to his ears and his beard and mustache hair was only about an inch or two long. As for his eyes, they were a cheery green and the smirk he wore suggested he knew exactly who I was.

"Brynn Terris, I take it?" He crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, Captain," I nodded and he opened his arms, reaching around to clap me on the shoulder.

"Come on in. We've got a lot to talk about."

His quarters were warm and cozy. The colors used for decoration were a little too macabre for my taste but the lighting made everything in the room come to life. The number of maps stacked along a table in the corner suggested he had been at sea for quite some time and the food on the table told me he had just finished lunch.

He walked over to the large table and held up a goblet.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thank you, sir." He smiled.

"Very well then. Make yourself at home," he said and I joined him as he took a seat at the table. "I know you're probably curious as to why I was so eager to meet you."

"Just a little," I admitted.

"I understand from Prince Edward that you are very close with the royal family and you've been friends with them practically your whole life."

I nodded. "That's right, sir."

"And you're aware that Prince Edward does not wish to take the throne?"

I nodded again and felt a little uncomfortable. "Well, he mentioned to me that he still wasn't sure."

"I talked to him earlier this morning and he told me that he had made his final decision. I'm sure you'll hear about it soon enough." There was a gleam in his eye that suggested he wasn't telling the whole story. He scratched his chin and cleared his throat. "Tell me something, Brynn."

He leaned forward and propped his elbows up on the table. "Were you very close to the Prince before he left?"

"We were inseparable almost, sir."

"Almost?"

"I was closer to the princess."

"Ah, that's right. Princess Aderyn." I was trying not to squirm in the chair.

"Yes, she's watching out for a certain young lady for me."

"Very well, very well. But what is the princess like?"

What kind of question was that?

"I'm not quite sure what you mean, sir."

"It has come to my attention that if Prince Edward chooses not to take the crown then the fate of the kingdom lies in the hands of his sister."

"Oh. Well, yes. She's... one of a kind. A bit wild for a girl; but I suppose that's my fault. She's smart and stubborn; firm but kind when she needs to be. She prefers to be out riding around the countryside than being at court. Aderyn is a free spirit."

"And does that worry the king?"

"I hadn't really noticed before, to be honest. We all just would have liked to assume that Edward would return when the time came. But if that doesn't happen and the king will have to turn to Aderyn..." I trailed off, not quite sure what that would entail. "England would be in for a rude awakening."

"Do you think a woman is suited to handle the responsibilities of the crown?"

"A part of me wants to say no, since it has never been done so before. But another part can hear Aderyn screaming in my head that I'm as ignorant as they come."

The captain smiled.

"Well, I'm sure, given time, that the right decision will be made. I, personally, don't believe a woman could handle the job. Her soul responsibility is to keep the king happy and to produce his heir. Perhaps the princess is the one who is in for a rude awakening," he said and grew thoughtful; quiet.

In my head I toiled over his words until I felt the rocking of the ship trigger my nausea again.

"Well!" He said suddenly and I almost jumped. "I'll be coming for you again in time, I believe. I have a few other things to discuss with you but we'll save that for another time. Until then," he stood up and I did the same. We headed towards the door. "I believe you're probably hungry and it's about time for the men to be fed."

He opened the door.

"Get some rest and prepare yourself for the journey ahead. Perhaps try and find your sea legs, my boy," he added, obviously noticing the greenish sheen that covered my face.

"Thank you, sir. Will do," I said quietly and after I headed out into the brisk late morning air, I heard the door click shut behind me.


	9. Chapter 9

Nine

~Brynn~

The first night was the most brutal on my stomach and a few of the men seemed sympathetic, giving me some good advice on how to keep from being sick. Others deemed it as an opportunity to snicker and laugh while the rest simply didn't seem to care either way.

After waking up a few times in the middle of the night being sick I finally subsided to dry-heaving before signs of dawn began to show on the horizon.

I watched with glazed-over eyes as the men ate their breakfast—some sort of hardened bread and the choice of either water or ale. I sat back against the side of the rocking ship, waiting until we were given any sort of chore when my bunk-mate lightly tapped his boot against mine. I looked up at him.

"You might want to try and eat something," he said and handed me a small piece of the bread and a mug of water. "Send it down slowly though."

"Thank you," I said, taking it from him.

About twenty minutes later we were told that there wasn't enough work for all of us; only a few men were needed for small and menial tasks. I was about to stand up and volunteer when Captain Hemmingway appeared behind me and pulled me aside.

"Perhaps you should try to sleep it off. Do everyone a favor," he patted me on the back.

"How long til we get to the Shetland Islands?"

He smiled and chuckled.

"Sooner than you think, my boy. Now, you have my permission to go and sleep this off. Then tonight you'll join me and Prince Edward in my cabin for dinner. I have some arrangements I'd like to speak with the two of you about.

"Yes, sir," I said and headed off towards the barracks.

The room was empty except for a few men who were on the other side of the room talking quietly amongst themselves. I know that I should probably rest as the captain had ordered me, but first I wanted to write my first letter home to Elizabeth that I could send as soon as we made port.

I pulled out the materials I needed and set to work.

_Elizabeth,_

_I have discovered the harsh reality that my journey on the seas is not exactly a walk in the meadows. I'm sure in time I will find my sea legs and my stomach will eventually calm but I'm afraid that can not come soon enough._

_I trust that everything at court is going well for you. The Princess, I hope, is teaching you a lot as well as Lady Catherine. I know that it can sometimes be overwhelming at court but I have no doubt that you will soon fall in step with the every day bustle and feel quite at home._

_I have found comfort in Prince Edward, who just so happens to be in my company as our Lieutenant and even the Captain has taken an interest in me for whatever reason. Tonight I am to dine with them in the captains quarters._

_I am not sure when we shall be arriving at the Shetland Islands but as soon as we arrive I will send this letter off to you as quickly as I can._

_I miss the castle and the stables but I mostly miss you._

_Regards,_

_Brynn_

~Aderyn~

"Oh for heaven's sake, your highness! _Must _you drum your fingernails like that? It's driving me mad!" Lady Catherine suddenly erupted from her careful needlework. I sat in the corner of the warm room reading while impatiently waiting for Elizabeth to arrive.

"Where in God's name is she? She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago!"

Lady Catherine stood up and walked over to the window, peeking out into the courtyard below.

"Has it been ten minutes?" She asked more to herself than she did to me.

"I'm going to have to put her under constant surveillance after this," I sighed.

"Well, maybe now you know what it was like all those times for me when you disappeared for hours on end." She raised her eyebrows and smirked at me.

"You knew I was off with Brynn," I retorted.

"Exactly," she spouted and I was about to object when the door opened and in came Elizabeth. I rose immediately.

"Do you have any idea how-"

"Oh, your majesty! I am so sorry! I was with Robin and lost track of the time, I'm afraid." I was about to go off on a tantrum but Lady Catherine beat me to it. She stepped forward with her eyes wide in shock.

"Did you have an escort with you, child?"

"Well... no. I thought that-"

"I can see that you have no respect for the crown! Any lady of _this_ court is to act like a lady, not like a scoundrel who runs off with training squires for a bit of fun in the afternoons."

I felt my own cheeks redden.

"Sir Brynn has asked us to watch over you whilst he is away and we cannot possibly do that while you are out making a spectacle of yourself in _public_ with another _man_! Do you not see how harmful this is to your own reputation?"

"I guess I hadn't thought about it, ma'am." Elizabeth's eyes were glued to the floor.

"Obviously not. It makes me shudder to think of the shame it would bring to Brynn's good name if he were to find you in a bind on his return."

"Yes, ma'am."

I stepped forward and placed my hand on Lady Catherine's shoulder, signaling her to stop.

"It won't happen again," I said to her and then looked to Elizabeth. "Will it?"

"No, your majesty."

"Very well then. We have a meeting at court with the other young ladies. I hope you have tough skin, Elizabeth." I began walking out of the room and she followed quickly behind me.

"I think I do, your majesty."

"Good," I said. "You're going to need it," I added under my breath.


End file.
